STRATEGY REPORT 2020-2025 - Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES - Fraunhofer IWES
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES STRATEGY REPORT 2020–2025
IMPRINT TABLE OF CONTENTS
Publisher PAGE 12: TenneT Offshore; PAGE 13: Frank Bauer; 1. Introduction and Status Report.................................................................................5
Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES PAGE 15: DOTI _Matthias Ibeler 2009; PAGE 16: Jens Meier; 1.1 Status of Wind Energy....................................................................................................6
Am Seedeich 45, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany PAGE 19: left: Martina Buchholz, right: Ulrich Perrey; 1.2 Technological Development............................................................................................8
Phone: +49 471 14290-100 PAGE 20: left: Frank Bauer, right: BluePlanetStudioiStock; 1.3 Research Development................................................................................................. 11
www.iwes.fraunhofer.de PAGE 22: Areva Multibrid Jan Oelker; PAGE 24: Jens Meier;
PAGE 25: left: Jan Brandes, right: Fraunhofer IWES; 2. Situational Assessment.............................................................................................12
The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES is a PAGE 28: Jan Meier; PAGE 36: Jens Meier; PAGE 37: left: 2.1 Technical Status............................................................................................................13
constituent entity of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and as such Harry Zier, right: Frank Bauer; PAGE 38: Matthias Ibeler; 2.2 SWOT Analysis.............................................................................................................14
has no separate legal status. PAGE 42: left: Martina Buchholz, right: Fraunhofer IWES;
PAGE 43: Martina Buchholz; PAGE 44: left: Stiftung 3. Strategic Goals –Action Fields and Measures.........................................................16
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE_Eon-Netz_Detlef Gehring_2008, 3.1 Reference to 2015 Strategy...........................................................................................17
zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. right: Stiftung OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE_Jan Oelker; 3.2 Fraunhofer IWES 2025 – Strategic Perspective of the Institute’s Management...............18
Hansastraße 27 c, 80686 München, Germany PAGE 45: Stiftung OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE_AREVA Wind_ 3.3 Further Development of Methods Expertise..................................................................20
Phone: +49 89 1205-0, Fax: +49 89 1205-7531 Detlef Gehring 2008; PAGE 46: Jan Meier; 3.4 Focus on Wind Farm Operators............................................................................. 21
www.fraunhofer.de PAGE 48: Jens Meier; PAGE 49: Tobias Kleinschmidt; 3.5 Diversification of Public Funding...................................................................................22
PAGE 51: left: Katharina Fischer, right: Jan Meier; 3.6 Strengthening of the Culture of Cooperation................................................................23
Editorial team PAGE 53: DOTI Matthias Ibeler; PAGE 54: left: Stiftung 3.7 Improved Positioning on the Labor Market...................................................................23
Inna Eck (coordination), Lisa Bösch, Julia Kiefer OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE Repower Jan Oelker, 3.8 Optimizing Internal Processes.......................................................................................25
right: Helmut Gross 3.9 Continuous Site Development.......................................................................................26
Authors 3.10 International Positioning via Scientific Communication..................................................27
Christian Broer, Mariel Busch, Dr. Steffen Czichon, State: July 2020
Nora Denecke, Torben Jersch, Jenny Kuball, Hans Kyling, 4. Core Competences and Technological Development.............................................28
Dr. Bernhard Lange, Dr. Benedict Preu, Prof. Andreas Reuter, Design/Infographics 4.1 Testing and Validation..................................................................................................29
Dirk Sandhop, Dr. Alexander Schenk, Design-Agentur Braun mit Braun 4.2 Digitalization................................................................................................................30
Dr. Bernhard Stoevesandt, Prof. Jan Wenske, 4.3 Measurement Methods................................................................................................34
Dr. Arnoldus van Wingerde Printing 4.4 Life cycle.......................................................................................................................36
QUBUS media GmbH 4.5 Hydrogen Activities...................................................................................................... 40
Photo credits and copyrights 4.6 Scientific Development.................................................................................................42
PAGE 1: Caspar Sessler; PAGE 4: Helmut Gross;
PAGE 8: Jens Meier; PAGE 9: Jan Meier; PAGE 10: left: Areva 5. Finance and Investment Planning........................................................................... 46
Multibrid Jan Oelker, right: Jens Meier; PAGE 11: Jens Meier;
6. Summary and Prioritization of Strategic Goals......................................................52
Supported by: 7. Conclusion and Forecast.......................................................................................... 54
2 3
1. INTRODUCTION AND
STATUS REPORT
The last systematic strategy process at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES
was completed in 2016 and included a development perspective for the Institute up to 2020.
On the basis of this, a follow-up process was initiated in the fall of 2019 with the aim of evaluat-
ing the results up to that point and also defining new goals and recommendations for action for
the Fraunhofer IWES through to 2025. In contrast to the first strategy process, a bottom-up
approach was integrated this time, i.e., all the Institute’s heads of department participated in an
intensive and continuous exchange process with the Institute’s management and worked
together to develop the results presented here. All those involved at the Institute were guided in
particular by the common goal of promoting innovative strength and impact despite the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Significant changes in the dynamic wind energy sector demand, first and foremost,
an analysis of the market and research landscape, which can be found in this chapter.
The Institute’s performance capacity is evaluated in the subsequent chapter.
Based on the previous strategy report, the most important strategic goals for the next
five years will then be established, followed by the thematic priorities for this time period.
The fifth chapter comprises an evaluation of the Institute’s financial situation and growth
plans through to 2025.
The sixth chapter summarizes the most important strategic action fields as so-called
“stepping stones” and illustrates the goals for the coming years in a condensed format.
The Institute would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved both internally and
externally for the constructive and positive cooperation aimed at rendering the Fraunhofer
IWES both future-oriented and sustainable.
Prof. Andreas Reuter
Managing Director
4 5
1. INTRODUCTION AND STATUS REPORT
1.1 STATUS OF WIND ENERGY The challenging boundary conditions have left their mark in The rotor sizes and nominal ratings of turbines, particularly
the form of accelerated consolidation along the entire offshore, are increasing rapidly at present. The principle aim
The wind energy sector has faced increasing market interna- The causes of this stagnation are manifold and, for the most value-added chain in this industry. The Fraunhofer IWES was of all developments is to reduce power generation costs.
tionalization right from the beginning of the last decade. This part, country specific. It can often be put down to a combina- especially affected by the buyout or merger of Adwen/Gamesa In the interim, it has proved possible to undercut all conven-
trend has gained pace most recently and will certainly tion of market saturation due to a lack of sites or acceptance with Siemens and the bankruptcy of Senvion. Alongside the tional energy sources and wind energy is now engaged in a
continue to shape the market in the coming years. The and technical challenges such as delays with regard to the direct financial losses, the waning number of possible neck-and-neck race with solar power. This development is set
periods of double-digit growth on the global market of ten requisite grid expansion. cooperation partners and, in turn, the greater reliance on the to accelerate further in most markets given the successive
years ago have been replaced by stagnation at a moderately remaining players pose a problem for the Institute. switchover from the grant scheme to tendering models.
high level, with deviations in terms of the relevance of The offshore business in Europe in particular has developed into However, these lower costs are unable to compensate for
individual regional markets. According to the prognoses from an independent market with demanding yet relatively stable In stagnating markets, the relevance of differentiation based the limiting factors of lack of acceptance and grid problems
the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), no major changes boundary conditions. The prognoses here are considerably on technology in order to acquire additional market shares is as outlined above.
in this sector are expected over the next few years. more optimistic; significant growth is anticipated up to 2030. growing. This trend is also clearly evident in the wind sector.
Development and prognosis of the global wind energy market 2018–2023 Development and prognosis of the global offshore wind energy market 2018–2030
50.12 GW 71.97 GW 76.43 GW 61.32 GW 62.02 GW 61.83 GW
%
+12.0
9% C AGR
9% 11 % 21.3
15 % 17 % 20.8 21.2
2% 1% 3% 18 %
1% 2% 3% 1.0
3% 2.0
3% 3% 2.0
14 % 3% 2% 2.0
18 % 3%
18 %
16.2 16.6 2.0
18 %
6% 18 %
19 % 15.0 1.0 6.0
9% 7% 1.0
9% 1.0 6.0
6% 0.8
6% 5% 7% 8.2 % 5.5
7% C AGR +
11 % 11.1 5.0
10.8 5.0 5.0
15 % 21 % 12% 10.4
21 % 8% 0.8 5.2
8.8 0.5
13 % 8.1 5.2
10 % 10 % 4.9
6.9 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.2
3.6 4.4
4.0
3.5 0.8
4.3 1.3
40 % 0.3 4.0 1.8
35 % 37 % 8.1
33 % 32 % 32 % 1.8
1.6* 6.4 7.0
5.6 5.6 6.0 5.2
4.3 1.1 4.5 4.0
2.7 3.0
1.8
2018 2019e 2020e 2021e 2022e 2023e 2018 2019e 2020e 2021e 2022e 2023e 2024e 2025e 2026e 2027e 2028e 2029e 2030e
Offshore Pacific Americas ex USA USA Units in gigawatts (GW) Other China Europe
Africa/ME Europe Asia ex China China North America Asia ex China
Source: GWEC 2019 * Installation in China for 2018 adjusted to 1.6 GW new installations, source: CWEA Source: GWEC 2019
**CAGR = CAGR = Annual Growth Rate (Source: GWEC Market Intelligence)
6 7
1. INTRODUCTION AND STATUS REPORT
the advanced field trial stage. Interestingly, this increase in the market is having a thoroughly positive impact on both
performance has been achieved with virtually unchanged system integration and supply security as well as serving to
tower head masses, i.e., it has been possible to reduce the strengthen cross-sector approaches. This is demonstrated by
specific power/weight ratio effectively. Compared with earlier the large number of corresponding projects (real labs,
development phases for onshore turbines, this is a truly hydrogen strategies, e-mobility and e-fuels) in the research
remarkable change. On the one hand, it underscores the and commercial sector as well as intensified standardization
greater efficiency potential of these new turbine generations activities in terms of grid integration and certification of the
and, on the other hand, the fundamentally enhanced electrical properties of inverter-coupled equipment.
development expertise of OEMs in terms of calculation and
simulation, material utilization and operational stability, Looking ahead to future developments (up to 2025), the
automation and control technology, which rendered the Fraunhofer IWES anticipates decelerated growth in turbine
requisite improvements possible in the first place. performance and rotor sizes for the onshore and offshore
segments. The reliability and availability of the very high
The dominant onshore wind turbine concept in 2020 is that levels achieved here to date must be confirmed in series
of a “classic” transmission system (3-phase) with intelligent production over the coming years. Even without any funda-
3-point bearing and a doubly-fed asynchronous machine. In mental technological changes or other disruptive innovations
the onshore sector, direct drive technologies are assuming a (e.g., superconduction, rotor hybrid materials, SiC for power
more niche role. The maximum tower heights for inland sites electronics), there is potential for up to 15 MW and rotor
The issue of climate change was at the fore in 2019 (“Greta the local market and has even impacted on energy research. would appear to be stagnating at 160 m due to the regula diameters well in excess of 200 m. The official announcement
effect”/Fridays for future). This discussion in Germany has However, at the same time, “green hydrogen” as a means of tory requirements and limitations. In the offshore sector, from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) of their
politicized the issue of wind energy and the previous, almost achieving the necessary decarbonization of industry and 10–12 MW turbines with rotor diameters of between 193 m intention to launch a SG 14-222 DD (14 MW nominal power,
cross-party consensus as regards the future expansion of this transport has enjoyed considerable funding. Even if the and 212 m are poised to be launched by various manufac 222 m rotor diameter) onto the market in 2024 can certainly
sector is now being intensively questioned by conservative business applications are still not clear, this presents a new turers and are planned for wind farm projects in the coming be regarded as confirmation of this internal assessment.
groups. Paradoxically, this essential examination of climate developmental opportunity for the wind sector as a whole two years. The direct drive technology continues to shape
change has led indirectly to an almost complete collapse of and for the Fraunhofer IWES in particular. the market here. From the Fraunhofer IWES’ perspective, the greatest potential
for further increases in efficiency and reliability lies in the
According to a current trend, the remaining manufacturers medium term in the systematic use of digitalization technolo-
1.2 TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT are continuing to evolve from providers of wind turbines and gies. The fields of prognosis, in-situ farm optimization,
services into expert system providers. Proven expertise in the field-based service optimization, online performance
Over the past few years the wind energy sector has been 150 m and 170 m to the first turbines which are approaching field of system integration (grid integration) is increasingly evaluation, and adaptive, self-optimizing turbine and farm
characterized by a strong focus on developments in turbine the double-digit performance range of 9–10 MW. Here, too, being seen as a deciding factor on the cost-driven wind controls appear particularly promising.
efficiency and, in turn, the reduced levelized cost of energy there has not been a fundamental change in the technologi- energy market. In contrast, a systematic development of
(LCOE). Those manufacturers (OEMs) remaining on the cal concepts, but rather the focus has been on intelligent knowledge is also being observed in an operator landscape
market have faced extreme cost and competitive pressures detail developments and improvements. Optimized offshore which has undergone many changes in the last years. Newly
and have increasingly developed their own research and logistics and assembly processes (pallet systems, decentral- aligned energy supply companies are dominating the major
development skills. The onshore sector in particular has seen ized production with optimized delivery chains, feeder wind energy projects. Furthermore, in addition to classic
fewer fundamental, yet more rapid development cycles based systems, semi-automatic individual setup steps, etc.) have financial and technical operational management, they aim
primarily on the idea of turbine platforms with a portfolio of played a pivotal role in the significant drop in power genera- to expand their in-house expertise in the field of turbine
different rotor diameters and nominal ratings in order to be tion costs in recent years. In terms of the technologies used, technology greatly, especially in the areas of site assessment,
able to adapt to the site. To this end, the manufacturers have up to now the offshore turbine class has been dominated by control technology, and electrical wind turbine systems.
remained true to their existing technical turbine concepts. direct drive and monopile foundation structures. Neverthe- Seemingly in the classic energy sector, too, alongside the
For example, the rotor bearing and transmission concepts of less, there are also alternative concepts with a lower but still economically motivated goal, there is interest in retaining a
the product lines in the 2–3 megawatt (MW) range have stable market share available. large percentage of the added value internally over the entire
been adopted and their performance capacity virtually service life of the turbine. As such, it can be said that the
doubled using systematic technological detail optimizations. In 2019/2020, all renowned manufacturers of onshore system relevance of wind energy in future electrical power
In the offshore sector, there has been a jump from the now turbines have 5 x MW platforms with rotor diameters of supplies has finally been fully appreciated. In the Fraunhofer
established 6–7 MW class with rotor diameters of between between 140 m and 160 m in their portfolios or these are in IWES’ view, this rapidly developing equilibrium in expertise on
8 9
1. INTRODUCTION AND STATUS REPORT
In the offshore sector in particular, floating systems for farms with the entire atmospheric boundary layer must be
greater water depths could mark a breakthrough as there is taken into account, as this leads to so-called cluster wake
an ever greater need for future regenerative energy produc- effects and blockade effects. According to the market leader,
tion in many coastal regions. East Asia, where many states Ørsted, this has not been taken into consideration sufficiently
boast shipbuilding expertise, could establish itself as a world by the wind industry to date and the energy yields have thus
leader from a technology and realization perspective. In the been overestimated.
export nation of Germany, it is felt that the opportunities
here are limited, since there is hardly any national research The planned major expansion of offshore wind energy in the
funding and barely any research projects or demonstrators in North and Baltic Seas demands the international networking
this area. of power connections and offshore grids to make optimal use
of the energy produced. Research is currently focused on
For the development of offshore wind energy in Germany, issues relating to high-voltage direct current transmission
the Renewable Energy Act of 2017 (EEG 2017) and the grids and energy islands, etc.
Offshore Wind Energy Act (WindSeeG) marked a system 1.3 RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
change from the feed-in tariffs to a tendering procedure. As state funding is reduced or even cut completely, the
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany integration of the wind industry into the power markets will Research Institutions Industrial Research
(BSH) is responsible for offshore wind development and, take on an ever more important role. In the future, the profits Further research institutions have been founded throughout As the OEMs continue to consolidate, the research and
specifically, for the spatial planning of suitable areas and their achieved by wind farm operators will depend largely or even Europe (ORE Catapult, SINTEF), which, together with the development capacity of the remaining large companies is
pre-examination. The results of pre-examinations are made exclusively on the power market. Alongside the sale of the established players (DTU Wind, TNO/ECN, CENER), represent growing considerably (e.g., development costs of one billion
available to the tendering participants, who use them as the power produced on the spot market, long-term supply the Fraunhofer IWES’ main competitors in terms of industrial euros for a new offshore wind turbine type at GE Wind
basis for their bids. Comprising the determination of wind contracts and the provision of system services are set to projects and European funding. The Institute engages in Energy). Significant efforts to develop systematic expertise
conditions and examination of the ground, the pre-examina- become increasingly important. This also has an impact on regular exchanges with these players in order to coordinate internally are also evident among wind farm developers
tion covers two areas in which the Fraunhofer IWES is a the operational management of wind farms, for example in research activities. However, the interests of the individual and operators.
pioneer as regards the development of innovative measure- terms of the operating and maintenance (O&M) concept. institutions are frequently shaped by specific national bound-
ment methods. ary conditions, which complicates systematic cooperation. Since the major players in the wind industry are now
operating globally, it can be assumed that they will only be
Given the size and concentration of wind farms, shadowing The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA JPWIND) interested in engaging in research cooperations with inter
effects are more relevant offshore than onshore. With large represents an important platform for European research nationally leading research institutions in the medium term.
offshore farms and wind farm clusters, the interaction of the which can exert considerable influence on the contentual
framework of projects within Horizon Europe. The core Other University Research
themes at German and European level are congruent to Interest in dedicated wind energy research is generally in
a great extent. One exception to this are floating wind decline at German universities as, for example, the focus
turbines, which are only considered to be important outside topic “Excellence” attaches less importance to application-
of Germany. oriented topics. The increasing maturity of the technologies
is shifting the research topics to more fundamental issues in
Research efforts are also being expanded upon outside of materials science, electrical engineering, and IT. There, they
Europe in the USA and China. These countries mainly serve represent only one of many possible fields of application –
local markets, but do so at a high technological level. and are therefore less visible.
In Germany, the RWTH Aachen University with the Center There has also been a drop in the number of students
for Wind Power Drives (CWD) remains one of the Fraunhofer pursuing degrees focusing on wind energy in Germany
IWES’ main competitors, but its limited testing bench sizes (University of Hanover, University of Oldenburg, etc.),
are unable to accommodate the dynamic growth in the size whereas the corresponding range of degrees offered in
of wind turbines and the testing options are currently more other European countries (Denmark, United Kingdom) as
restricted than at the Fraunhofer IWES. well as in the USA and Asia has grown.
10 11
2. SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT
2.1 TECHNICAL STATUS
The Fraunhofer IWES unites wind energy system technologies Simulation | Validation of Production Chains
on all scales – from nanometers (material development) to When it comes to rotor blades, the Fraunhofer IWES is able
kilometers (site investigations and wind field simulations) – to simulate the entire production chain involved in the
under a single roof. manufacture of a blade: from the production steps on a
laboratory scale through to the final product (BladeFactory).
Thanks to comprehensive investment in the testing infra This also includes the accompanying validation tests – from
structure and targeted academic further development, the material-science tests on fiber composite materials through
Institute has been able to secure itself a leading position in combined rain erosion/ice build-up tests to biaxial complete
a series of research fields since its foundation. blade testing with elliptical stimulation. The Fraunhofer IWES’
expertise in production and testing technology results in
Lifespan | Fatigue | Accelerated Testing intensive synergies which can be utilized for the mutual
2. SITUATIONAL The Fraunhofer IWES works intensively in the fields of large
bearing testing, large-scale components of the drive train,
optimization of processes and technologies.
A SSESSMENT
and supporting structures in order to optimize testing Wind Farm Development
strategies and infrastructures. The combination of various As regards wind farm development, the Fraunhofer IWES
specializations (tribology, control technology, automation focuses on those areas where research and development are
technology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering), has able to make relevant progress for the industry. The partners
This sec tion briefly outlines the positioning of the Fraunhofer IWES,
allowed the design and realization of highly complex and and customers are essentially the planners and operators of
taking both internal and ex ternal assessments into account. unique test systems which are able to simulate a complete offshore wind farms as well as their service providers and
This is then taken as the basis for describing the Institute’s ac tion service life of more than 20 years in just a few months with suppliers.
fields and goals for the nex t five years in the subsequent chapters. realistic damage effects.
The Institute has developed a wind LiDAR buoy to measure
System Testing | System Expertise the wind conditions at potential offshore sites: a robust
Today, with the Dynamic Nacelle Testing Laboratory (DyNaLab), measurement system for flexible determination of offshore
the Fraunhofer IWES is a global leader with an impressive track wind conditions at heights of up to 300 m. To date, the
record when it comes to the mechanical and electrical system Fraunhofer IWES has built seven buoys, and these are now in
testing of wind turbine nacelles. A broad spectrum of use around the world. Furthermore, the buoy is produced
different test scenarios has been realized both for customer under license by the company Titan in China for the Chinese
orders and in a range of research projects, impressively market.
demonstrating the flexibility and capacity of the testing
infrastructure.
12 13
2. SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT
A 3D offshore site investigation technique based on multi- leading international position in this field. It is the only
channel seismology, the only one of its kind in the world, was institute to boast comprehensive expertise in determining
developed in collaboration with the University of Bremen for wind conditions in and around offshore wind farms based on
the investigation of sites for offshore wind farms. It is used by various size scales. This makes it possible to analyze in detail
various farm developers and the BSH to create soil profiles wake effects within wind farms and on a larger scale and
and detect boulders. describe turbulence properties.
One of the Fraunhofer IWES’ main focuses is the simulation
of offshore wind conditions and, indeed, it has assumed a
2.2 SWOT ANALYSIS
The SWOT analysis considers the strengths and weaknesses does not go into the details of the individual technology
as well as the relevance of trends and prognoses. SWOT areas or market segments. The strategic goals, measures,
stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and and action fields derived from this SWOT analysis are dealt
Threats. The following analysis applies to the entire Institute, with in detail in the subsequent chapters.
taking account of all internal and external services, and thus
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Risks
Established as a sector expert right along the Dependency on public funding from the Federal The offshore market boasts considerable The difficult market environment is resulting
value-added chain Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) technological development potential and offers in consolidation by manufacturers and, in turn,
Core issues established on stable pillars, Lots of young employees with limited industrial a stable market environment in Europe a decline in the number of new product
well diversified over a range of selected topics experience Use of committee work to position the Fraunhofer evelopments
The Fraunhofer IWES functions as an innovation Inefficient administration processes (procurement, IWES as a pioneer Increasing political polarization resulting from
engine thanks to its practical experience and IT, customer-relevant interfaces such as contracts) New customer group: potential from serving the energy transition
methodological expertise High surcharges make the Fraunhofer IWES’ services operators’ needs Major increase in international competition in
Sound financial situation and infrastructure expensive Development of scalable products terms of R&D
Attractive employer: long-term staff loyalty, Industry orders are essentially focused on test Positive funding conditions on the part of the BMWi Increase in industrial in-house research
good cooperation opportunities bench services Greater exploitation of internal programs within the Globalization of customers and competition
Decentralized structure at attractive sites In the case of the key test benches, it is not possible framework of the Fraunhofer group/alliance There is no domestic market for the future issue
The Fraunhofer IWES: “we” are a team to compensate for the loss of major orders of floating
Attracting of cross-sector orders based on
interdepartmental, interdisciplinary cooperation
New topics can be implemented effectively
and quickly in-house
14 15
3. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
3.1 REFERENCE TO 2015 STRATEGY
The strategic process upon which this report is based is a customer benefits had to be defined. Over the course of
review, realignment, and continuation of the activities discussions, the issue of methods expertise based on the
commenced in 2015 and 2016. Back then, the fundamental competitive infrastructure already in existence to some extent
orientation of the Fraunhofer IWES was defined for the first emerged as a means of ensuring success. The continuous
time and the results were evaluated within the scope of a improvement of the staff’s specialist skills became the focus
review by external experts and found to be good. The key of the development perspective. Building upon this, innova-
results of the last report are summarized in brief below. tive concepts were to be derived in a subsequent phase.
Development of Methods Expertise
As a still relatively young institute in a demanding and
dynamic sector, a realistic scenario for presenting qualified
Concept for developing the methods expertise based on infrastructure
Customer benefits Development of
excellence for ensuring
3. STRATEGIC GOALS – a sustainable
competitive edge in
the long term
ACTION FIELDS AND Innovation
MEASURES Methods expertise
Development of
relevant competitive
differentiation in
This chapter firstly outlines the strategic star ting point for fur ther the medium term
obser vations and is followed by a summar y of the challenges to be
faced over the coming years as seen by the Institute’s management.
This chapter is rounded off by a description of the current ac tion Infrastructure
Development of
an initial competitive
fields through to 2025. advantage in
the short term
Time
17
3. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
Focus on Validation Focus on Industry Relevance / Rho-Wi 50+ Growth Phases of the Institute Transition from a economic risk faced by the Fraunhofer IWES. It could prove
The Fraunhofer IWES’ contentual orientation should focus on Another major central aspect of the last strategy process was Start-Up to an Established and Networked Institute expedient here to expand the range of research services
the issue of risk minimization and the securing of innovative the clear commitment to prioritizing industry-relevant The Fraunhofer IWES can already look back on more than offered for additional parts of the value-added chain or to
wind energy technology while taking realistic growth activities, with academic excellence being not classed as ten years of history, with the first years being characterized intensify internationalization. On the other hand, in order
scenarios into account. This was summarized by the term contradictory to but rather in support of this. This goal was in particular by the development of the infrastructure and to maintain the existing customer relationships, efforts must
“Focus on Validation”, with technologies from the field of brought within reach by specifying a relevant goal for positioning in the national and international research be continuously invested in ensuring the excellence of the
project development and the supplier industry also being industrial income: at least half of the operating budget landscape. In the pending phase, there will be a stronger offerings, something which is only possible by means of
explicitly included. should come from direct industrial income (“Rho-Wi* 50+”). focus on issues such as professionalization and the optimiza- further focusing. Sustainable paths for developing the
tion of workflows. Further networking within the Fraunhofer- Institute must be identified between these conflicting
Gesellschaft and exploitation of the resulting opportunities requirements.
will also become increasingly important.
Some solutions to these challenges are presented below.
Further Internationalization and Covering of the These are the result of a structured strategy process,
Value-Added Chain vs. Focusing and Excellence which was driven in essence by the Institute’s entire
3.2 FRAUNHOFER IWES 2025 – STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE OF On the one hand, greater efforts must be made in the highly management team.
THE INSTITUTE’S MANAGEMENT dynamic and complex wind energy sector to minimize the
The Fraunhofer IWES can look back on five very successful project developers, operators, and suppliers. The Fraunhofer
years even though not all the strategic goals were achieved. IWES’ task is to embrace this development and to intensify
The methods employed to date therefore need to be tested cooperation with the likely winners of this consolidation
so as to realign and tailor processes in order to accommodate process.
the latest developments. The key questions and current
challenges are outlined below: Risk Minimization with Respect to the
Institute’s Public Financing
Positioning of the Institute in Dynamic Times It has not yet been possible to minimize the risk identified
The wind energy industry is (once again) undergoing a very back in 2015 resulting from dependency on the Federal
clear process of transformation. It is currently impossible to Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as the
say how the various players will be positioned in the long authority which awards almost 95% of all public funds –
term, nor can it be stated with any certainty what future largely due the good success rate when applying for funds Photo left:
business models will look like against the backdrop of the from this source. The intensified political discussion on issues Prof.Dr.-Ing. Jan Wenske,
energy transition. Nevertheless, the Fraunhofer IWES must be relating to the energy transition and initial budget problems Deputy Director, Technical Director
able to make strategic investment decisions in order to in the BMWi mean that this problem is back on the agenda Photo right:
position itself competitively in the wind energy research once again. For the period up to 2025, further growth must Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Reuter,
sector over longer implementation periods (up to 2025). To go hand in hand with a diversification of the origin of public Managing Director
this end, decisions are made on the basis of joint estimates, funds and the largest possible increase in revenue from
these will be regularly reviewed using verifiable criteria, and, industry above the current level. This means a two-fold
if necessary, corrected. increase in revenue from industry from €10 million at present
to €20 million by 2025.
Continuation of Successful Concepts for
Cooperation in the Wind Sector
The accelerated consolidation of the industry is increasingly
impacting upon players from all areas of the value-added
chain, i.e., in addition to wind turbine manufacturers also
* Rho-Wi refers to the percentage of the operating budget made up by industrial income.
18 193. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
3.3 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS EXPERTISE 3.4 FOCUS ON WIND FARM OPERATORS
An increasing trend towards consolidation is evident within The Fraunhofer IWES is developing these issues through the The Fraunhofer IWES would like to appeal more to the Specific Measures
the wind energy industry. This, in turn, means the com development of knowledge carriers in interdisciplinary project operators of wind farms as potential customers. Based on the To enable the technical challenges faced by wind farm
petitive situation for the Fraunhofer IWES as a provider of teams with the aim of promoting the exchange of knowledge existing expertise and infrastructure, the Institute is determin- operators to be clearly identified and to establish initial
research and development services is intensified: on the one and exploiting synergies. The focus remains on the continuous ing the research requirements of this market segment, contact, the Fraunhofer IWES is to be introduced to
hand, the number of possible customers for research services further development of staff and the recruitment of additional expanding its service portfolio, and developing innovative identified key wind farm operators, e.g., Equinor, Shell,
is falling and, on the other hand, given their growing size, personnel with suitable professional experience. Nevertheless, and customized solutions for this group of customers. Innogy, Vattenfall, and Ørsted, by a delegation. This could
more and more companies are carrying out their own R&D the use of internal resources to ensure the targeted growth also provide important feedback on the strengths and
work in-house and are only cooperating with the leading of expertise and international networking with external Motivation weaknesses of the performance portfolio.
research facilities in their fields. The Institute will position specialists are still important. Against the backdrop of the wind industry landscape, wind
itself among these facilities both nationally and internation farm operators are growing in importance as partners for the Equally, the dialog with wind farm operator committees
ally to secure and build on markets shares in the long term. The Fraunhofer IWES communicates these skills in the Fraunhofer IWES. While technical design and realization of needs to be actively sought, e.g., with the Bundesverband
relevant fields through tailored Public Relations activities such wind farm projects were originally carried out by a large der Windparkbetreiber Offshore e.V. for German offshore
The following measures are necessary for this: initially, the as participation in selected academic conferences with a high number of subcontractors, wind farm operators are now operators (BWO), the Bundesverband Windenergie e. V.
Fraunhofer IWES will identify and define the fields in which it range and excellent signal effect, strategic public relations more likely to coordinate and manage all the technical (BWE) for onshore operators, and the Offshore Wind
aims to expand its expertise and experience over the coming work with a new focus on the important channels (press aspects of the upstream sector. This applies in particular to Accelerator for British offshore operators.
years, establishing itself as a leading international expert. This releases, website, blogs, etc.), and active involvement in operators of large offshore wind farms, who, in addition to
requires an ongoing focus on the activities under the motto relevant industrial and academic international committees. a high level of technical knowledge, also offer major research An appropriate means of presentation must firstly be
“Focus on Validation” together with an expansion of the and development programs aimed at exploring and optimiz- identified so as to visualize the Fraunhofer IWES’ portfolio
culture of cooperation at the Institute so as to make optimal ing new technologies. Cooperation with operators is a logical simply and intuitively (e.g., the presentation of services
use of the resources available. The envisaged fields are: step for both parties. Adaptation and expansion of the based on the life cycle of the wind farm – planning,
Fraunhofer IWES portfolio is thus not only expedient but, operation, and decommissioning).
Testing & validation, in fact, imperative.
Digitalization, All heads of department are regularly informed about
Measurement methodology, Action Fields and Measures subject areas via an internal exchange and are thus able to
Life cycle and In order to be considered by wind farm operators as the function as Institute-wide disseminators vis-à-vis wind
Sector coupling focusing on hydrogen. preferred research partner, the research portfolio needs to be farm operators. An acquisition plan is being developed
continuously aligned to the needs of these operators, starting jointly which includes all departments and activities; this
with the existing knowledge base and current services. This will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is still effective and
strategy comprises both a strategic and thorough analysis of adapted if necessary.
needs, a portfolio analysis based on this, and a continuous
process to adapt services. Further operators are to be invited to join the Fraunhofer
IWES’ advisory board. This strengthens the ties with
Acquisition and public relations work should concentrate operators and enables regular feedback to be given on the
more closely on those areas which facilitate direct contact Institute’s portfolio.
with wind farm operators. In this way, contracts and research
jobs can be acquired successively and long-term partnerships
established.
20 213. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
3.6 STRENGTHENING OF THE CULTURE OF COOPERATION
The Fraunhofer IWES is shaped by a trust-based culture of In order to help staff identify ideas and to channel creative
cooperation which promotes collaboration across depart- ideas, managers should clearly prioritize cross-specializa-
ments and sites. The Institute has a total of nine sites in three tion subjects and ideas which are of strategic importance
federal states. Specialists from ten interdisciplinary depart- to the Institute. This automatically enhances exchange at
ments work together with colleagues from internal service an operational level.
departments on scientific and economic success. An Institute
culture which promotes strong internal and overarching Values and the Institute culture must be embraced
cooperation has a central role to play here. The Fraunhofer by management.
IWES regards open and direct communication, tolerance,
a transparent error culture, and joint goal attainment as The intradepartmental drafting of codes of conduct and
the basis for an Institute-wide cooperation culture. rules for cooperation can help to manage conflicts and
failures, improve general communication between staff
Various mechanisms are required in everyday working life in members, and also facilitate more conscious interaction.
order to realize this goal:
The Fraunhofer IWES regards mistakes as an opportunity
3.5 DIVERSIFICATION OF PUBLIC FUNDING Time and space must be provided to agree upon and to grow and improve, which is why it fosters a transparent
coordinate content. This not only includes regular sub- error culture and the sharing of experiences.
The Institute’s financing remains greatly dependent on Action Fields and Measures ject-specific networking among managers, but also
funding from the BMWi within the scope of the energy Since the Fraunhofer IWES is unable to influence the political exchange at specialist level. For this reason, subject-related In light of the internationalization of the wind energy and
research program. Funding from the BMWi made up 56% boundary conditions, the content-related challenges faced by workshops and the expansion of digital platforms are to labor market, language training of current and future
of the total budget in 2019. The Institute therefore depends the Institute must be dealt with primarily. be encouraged to allow staff at the various sites to engage employees forms an imperative platform for the use of these
heavily on a financial source which, itself, is influenced by in exchange. mechanisms. Greater investment in staff bilingualism is
political decisions. Given that the potential amount of Specific First Steps planned.
industrial income is limited for a research institute, future risk Identification of more basic research-oriented fields which The Institute prefers project ideas which involve at least
minimization efforts should concentrate on the diversification promise industrial marketability and, for example, which two departments in the draft phase.
of public funding and take greater account of internal match the typical funding lines of the Federal Ministry of
Fraunhofer programs. The following points have been Education and Research (BMBF) (e.g., material develop-
identified as key obstacles here: ment focusing on operational stability).
Concentration of application-oriented wind energy The development of issues which facilitate support from 3.7 IMPROVED POSITIONING ON THE LABOR MARKET
research is politically endorsed by the BMWi. other federal ministries, e.g., the issue of hydrogen, which
is supported by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Since the start of 2017, the Fraunhofer IWES has invested the classic fields of machine engineering, physics, and wind
As the home to the headquarters, the state of Bremen has Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). efforts into its positioning as an employer within the scope energy technology, electrical engineering, IT, geotechnics,
access to very limited resources. of its strategy process. This involved implementation of an or chemical engineering are also gaining ground.
Development of new topics which offer enhanced Institute-wide process aimed at developing the employer
The subjects worked on at the Fraunhofer IWES are only potential for cooperation within Fraunhofer, e.g., identify and an Institute-specific “employer brand”. The transition from an employer to an applicant market,
adaptable to a very limited extent outside of the BMWi. hydrogen and the circular economy. This includes, among other things, modernization of the together with the changing wind energy situation in Germany,
recruitment process, optimization of the career website, requires the Institute to further optimize its personnel
The Fraunhofer IWES business model as an industry Strengthened and with other Fraunhofer institutes agreed and implementation of a professional onboarding process. marketing and recruiting activities, but also to ensure an
institute has only few points of reference with other personnel recruitment for network formation and to align external communication consistent with internal processes
Fraunhofer institutes, which impedes the cooperation the various working cultures. The success and growth curve of the Fraunhofer IWES is and content, e.g. positive attributes which are also lived
required for internal programs. flanked by the challenge of remaining attractive to the right throughout the Institute.
Further development of activities in Hamburg in order personnel. In addition, the Institute is also becoming more
to exploit the funding opportunities there. interdisciplinary in its structure and, as such, the spectrum of
specialist skills required by new staff is growing. Alongside
22 233. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
Strategic Recruitment at the Fraunhofer IWES Development Opportunities as a Factor for Success –
up to 2025 The Fraunhofer IWES as an Attractive Employer
Diversity is generally recognized as a key factor behind the Achievement of the goals set out above requires an employer
future viability of any organization – as such, in line with the marketing strategy which clearly highlights the Institute’s
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s policy, increasing the percentage decisive attractive features at an early stage. Today, the
of women working as research associates at the Institute important key factors which define attractive employers are
has been accorded top priority. In particular, the number of personal development opportunities and an appreciative
women in managerial positions is also to be increased. working atmosphere. Personal development opportunities
and a modern Institute culture are already a matter of course
In order to remain successful, staff are needed who generally and a practiced reality at the Fraunhofer IWES. That’s why
share the same or similar values as the Fraunhofer IWES. It has the focus of personnel recruitment measures will be on these
therefore been shown that the advantages of the Institute, decisive advantages. A transparent presentation of the broad
namely scope to shape how one works, the assumption of range of further training opportunities, the possibility to take
responsibility early on, and tailored development opportuni- on additional responsibility, and scope to shape one’s career
ties are highly valued by academic staff with professional as well as specialist and managerial career paths, for example 3.8 OPTIMIZING INTERNAL PROCESSES
experience. on the career website and directly in job postings, will all
serve to enhance the Institute’s competitive advantages. The world of work is growing in complexity. In light of the 3. Administration is to be integrated more closely into
Accordingly, the specific strategic recruitment goals at the Further accompanying measures include: working structures in place at the Fraunhofer IWES, such as scientific work and controllers are to be made responsible
Fraunhofer IWES are as follows: the co-working space in Bremen, multiple sites, and various for ensuring correct figures and bookings. This, in turn,
The use of staff contacts to raise interest for the test benches, the traditional notion of a location-based will lead to an improved mutual understanding and allow
1. The number of female scientists and academics recruited Fraunhofer IWES among potential candidates from their workplace is becoming increasingly outdated. This transition the specialist departments to be supported more effectively,
is to be increased significantly. By 2025, the proportion of personal spheres. means greater organizational complexity and also places high e.g., with gap analyses.
women at the Institute is to increase from the current demands on administrative mechanisms. To support the
22% to the Fraunhofer-wide target of 30%. Increase in awareness of the Institute and the communi Institute’s administration, the strategic goal is to reduce the 4. A uniform reporting system is to be set up to enable heads
cation of its successes: greater presence on various pressure on academics through efficient, effective, and of department to assess economic development both
2. When filling new positions, priority should be given to channels – Fraunhofer IWES blog, social media, (specialist) targeted processes. The time spent on administrative tasks by reliably and efficiently. Furthermore, fixed deadlines for
independent, highly qualified, and experienced candidates press, trade fairs, conferences, and lectureships at scientists is to be reduced to a minimum and non-technical reporting are to be defined.
with industrial and/or academic experience. universities. risks are to be rendered transparent at an early stage.
5. Additional Institute-wide documents and tools will be
3. Graduates are to be recruited primarily from the internal Establishment of regular recruitment events. Action Fields and Measures developed and made available to simplify workflows, e.g.,
pool of students. 1. With the introduction of SAP, it will be possible to templates for the project initiation and drafting phases
digitalize all administrative processes completely. The and contract specifications. Further support is to be
digital workflow will mean that procurement staff can afforded to the specialist departments through joint
place orders regardless of where they are, releases can be evaluation of the lessons learned and with error analyses
issued, and the status of orders can be queried. This will for example. Workshops on project management, taking
boost both flexibility and transparency. the SAP requirements into consideration, will also get
underway in spring 2021.
2. More meetings are to be scheduled between administra-
tion and the departments at the various sites as a way of
facilitating communication. Intensive exchanges equate to
an improved understanding of processes. Workflows and
tasks can be discussed and adapted. A process of continu-
ous improvement offers the framework for precisely this.
The already initiated workshops focusing on quality, work,
and environmental protection management within the
scope of certification are to be expanded to include more
departments.
24 253. STRATEGIC GOALS – ACTION FIELDS AND MEASURES
3.9 CONTINUOUS SITE DEVELOPMENT In total, around 90 new office workplaces are either being The envisaged takeover of the MEVIS building and the
realized or are in planning and, as such, the envisaged development of further Institute functions on site will help
At present, the Fraunhofer IWES is spread over five sites in In Bremerhaven, the acquisition of the Windhaus is currently growth of the Institute in this area will also be achieved. to relieve the pressure on premises in Bremerhaven and also
three federal states (Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony) and under discussion in the committees and the building can be create a new gravitation center, which, given its central
housed in nine buildings. This distribution is, in part, for his- taken over by the Institute in the near future. Following Perspective location both in terms of the university campus in Bremen
torical reasons; back in 2009, the Institute began operating investments to modernize the offices, around 20 additional The Bremen site and the intensified links to its university are and with relation to the other IWES sites, will potentially
with subsidiaries in Bremerhaven, Hanover, and Oldenburg. workplaces are now available. Offices at the airfield have also at the heart of short- and medium-term formative planning stimulate many other positive developments.
The additional sites came about due to specialist require- been set up for eight employees; the construction of LiDAR at the Institute. The two planned cooperation professorships
ments and an urgent need for space. 2018 marked the start buoys and, in future, the hydrogen project will be managed and another electrical technology laboratory for joint use
of a discussion on further site development taking the home from there. The office situation at the DyNaLab is also being create a substantial basis at a working level to this end.
states into account – a discussion which was very open to the optimized at present and a further five workplaces have
idea of consolidating the situation if deemed possible and been created by boosting flexibility and via consolidation.
expedient. However, it was concluded that all of the current Here, too, the testing hall capacity is subject to continuous
sites are required for the Institute’s work and a merger would expansion to create space for the already approved invest-
result in key fields and development opportunities being ments and to develop a longer-term new construction 3.10 INTERNATIONAL POSITIONING VIA SCIENTIFIC
relinquished. As such, it was decided to view the complexity concept to establish further office workspaces on site. COMMUNICATION
of the site situation not just as a challenge but also as an
opportunity. The following two aspects should therefore In 2019, the Fraunhofer IWES opened its first co-working It is essential that the Fraunhofer IWES clearly positions itself Action Fields and Measures
be emphasized: space on the campus of the University of Bremen. This space as an industry Institute in the wind energy sector. Successes Alongside increased content-based networking with other
is home to flexible workstations and meeting rooms with and progress achieved within the framework of the strategic institutes and research facilities, it is also vital to use the
New Work and Digital Working various configurations for all staff. The Site Evaluation objective can be transported authentically and convincingly communication channels systematically to spread the
The Fraunhofer IWES takes advantage of the diverse activities department works permanently from this site. Next year, via different channels to the relevant target groups using Fraunhofer IWES’ messages and content and also to tap into
which are normally summarized under the term “new work” there is the prospect of taking over the current premises of marketing and communication instruments. The Institute’s new formats. The associated goal here is to aid customer
as an approach to site development. Modern, digital working the Fraunhofer MEVIS with its 65 workplaces. This building is target groups are many and varied: industry customers from acquisition through specific public relations work. The
methods will enable staff to participate in Institute projects located in the close vicinity and this would significantly boost the wind energy sector whose operations are becoming ever following measures are optimized and adapted within the
regardless of their location. This also opens up the door to development potential at this site. more global and who communicate professionally via all scope of regular internal exchanges: support of networking
flexible recruitment since vacancies can be offered at all sites media channels; the focus area of scientific research and (contributions to alliances), assistance through specific media
and the pool of suitable applicants is larger. Furthermore, In Hanover, the Institute is housed at two sites relatively far development with its highly demanding content; the general work (PR articles, press releases, etc.), establishing of a blog,
digitalization of the working environment also offers apart: in the city center with an office close to the central public faced with the conflicts associated with renewable expansion of social media activities (e.g., Xing, LinkedIn),
opportunities in terms of a better work-life balance since, station and at the Marienwerder research campus with the energies and climate protection; media representatives, website optimization, testing of new digital formats.
for example, mobile working is facilitated. A co-working Test Center Support Structures (TTH). An additional office sponsors, the Fraunhofer-wide internal stakeholders and staff
space established at the University of Bremen campus has story is to be created here over the course of this year. This as the Institute’s ambassadors. The success of the measures taken will be evaluated quantita-
proved itself as an alternative to the option of working from will offer space for another 15 members of staff. tively and qualitatively. Quantitative performance checks will
home and, at the same time, is a popular venue for internal Motivation be done by means of access figures, links, and media
and external meetings. At present, the Hamburg site is enjoying dynamic develop- With the aim of becoming more visible on the international monitoring, the qualitative evaluation via customer and staff
ment as the test laboratory for large bearings based there has stage and to be viewed by the relevant target groups as a surveys.
Decentralized Staggered Development been very well received by the industry sector. Moreover, the successful global research institute, the Fraunhofer IWES sets
Against the backdrop of the opportunities presented by new new activities in the hydrogen field together with the North great store by honing its external communication and
work, the potential of all sites was analyzed and expansion German Real Laboratory mean that additional office work- developing this further in the relevant fields. The goal here is
plans were drawn up, which will enable the Institute to grow spaces are required. In response to this, the city of Hamburg to establish the Institute as an expert international partner in
over the coming years. The details of this are outlined below: is planning a new research building in cooperation with the all business fields and for all target groups.
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. If everything goes
to plan, this project will be completed in 2022 and is
expected to offer a further 25 workspaces.
26 27You can also read
